Frequently Asked Questions

Ancora sits at 118 Wharf Street, Tweed Heads NSW 2485, with absolute waterfrontage overlooking the picturesque Terranora Inlet. We’re just 10 minutes from Gold Coast International Airport and 5 minutes from world-famous surf breaks at Snapper Rocks, Rainbow Bay and Duranbah Beach — making Ancora the ideal Tweed Coast destination for couples flying in from across Australia.

Reach us at 02 6674 9962 or info@ancoraweddings.com.au.

Our hand-crafted wooden dining tables and white European bentwood chairs are included in every package. Key specs:

The anchor points for hanging installations sit approximately 5–6 metres high. A qualified rigger is required for all hanging installations, draping and lighting rigs. Your planner can recommend trusted suppliers.

Ancora has gas ceiling heaters to keep the space warm through the Tweed Coast winter, and ceiling fans to keep things cool and breezy in summer. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows can also be opened to invite in that stunning Terranora Inlet breeze until 8pm.

Yes — open flame candles are welcome at Ancora. All candles must be accompanied by a drip tray. Your stylist or florist can help source appropriate trays to keep the look polished.

Yes — four-legged family members are very welcome at Ancora, on a lead. We recommend booking a professional pet attendant on the day so you can relax and soak up every moment. You can arrange this through petweddingservices.co.

Ancora allows rose petals, natural confetti, and water-soluble biodegradable confetti only. As a waterfront venue on the Terranora Inlet, protecting the surrounding environment is important to us. Clean-up fees apply.

Ancora’s menu was developed by Matt Kemp — UK-born, Michelin-star trained and a former television personality with multiple MasterChef appearances. After opening award-winning venues including Restaurant Balzac and heading up Banc (Australia’s best restaurant in the mid-2000s), Matt relocated to the Tweed Coast with one philosophy: fresh, local and seasonal.

The Ancora signature wedding menu is Mediterranean-inspired, drawing directly from the acclaimed original Taverna in Kingscliff. Dishes are designed to be feasted together — crowd favourites include our famous Byron Bay haloumi, slow-cooked New England lamb and Bangalow pork belly with carrot & saffron purée.

Ample food is provided in our menus, with the average diner being very satisfied. If you’d like to indulge a little more or your guests are particularly big eaters, considering adding additional sides or late-night feasting to your experience. Our banquet-style menus are designed to be generous, abundant and shared — inspired by the Mediterranean tradition of gathering and truly eating together. Our couples consistently tell us the food is the most talked-about part of their night.

“The banquet was DELICIOUS. Everyone couldn’t stop talking about the canapés — pork belly and calamari were our favourites.” — Brooke + James

“The honey halloumi. Enough said.” — Claire + Caleb

No tasting required — we’re that confident in the experience. We source the majority of our ingredients from local Tweed Coast farms and suppliers, and grow some produce in our own gardens. We create menus to suit any wedding style, and your guests will be blown away.

That said, if you’d love a social outing beforehand, both of our partner restaurants are fantastic:

• Lola’s Mexican Cantina, Casuarina
• Farm & Co Restaurant, Cudgen

Ancora’s breezeway block entry opens into a curated Whiskey Bar stocking a premium selection of whiskeys, rums and cigars, alongside a limited cocktail list. It’s the perfect place for guests to wind down post-dinner — and a gorgeous nook for those golden-hour portraits by the water.

Ancora provides a cake knife only. If you’d like a cake stand, please arrange this through your cake maker or hire/stylist.

Venue hire starts from $3,250. This gives you exclusive use of Ancora’s waterfront function space — including the indoor reception area, the waterside deck and cocktail area — along with your planner, on-day coordinator, ceremony and reception furniture, and food & beverage service staff.

Full package details for both Essentials and Deluxe packages are available in the wedding kit.

→ Request the complete wedding kit

2026 Dining Menus

Beverages

Package upgrades — premium spirits, French Champagne, French Champagne + Premium Spirits — are also available. Request the full kit for complete menu details.

Your payment is structured across several progress instalments in the lead-up to your wedding. The final balance — covering food, beverages and any additional extras — is due 14 days prior to your celebration. Your Ancora planner will walk you through the full schedule from the start.

We want every moment to count — here’s how the evening winds down at Ancora:

The decibel limit at Ancora is 80dB, in keeping with our Tweed Heads location. Live bands are welcome up to a 3-piece — no drums, bass, electric guitars, saxophones/trumpets or percussion instruments. Acoustic duos and DJs are a popular and fantastic-sounding choice in the space.

Reception room: bump-in begins at 9:00am on the morning of your wedding.
Waterside deck: available exclusively from 12:00pm. The Ancora team can move your furniture or décor items outside once the deck has been closed and cleaned after morning cafe service.

All personal furniture, décor items and hired pieces must be removed on the night of your wedding — within 30 minutes of music being turned off. Suppliers are also required to bump out directly following your event. Please factor this into your supplier briefings.

The Ancora Weddings team sets up and packs down all equipment included in your venue package. For additional hired or personal items, your suppliers, wedding party and guests take care of those. If you’d prefer the team to manage hired items too, chat to your planner — it can be arranged for a minimum fee.

Couples deal directly with their vendors and suppliers. The Ancora Weddings team is always on hand to answer venue-specific questions and help with bump-in and bump-out logistics — just reach out to your dedicated planning team any time.

We always recommend discussing timing with your photographer first — light on the Terranora Inlet is genuinely magical and they’ll know when to make the most of it. For ceremonies at Wharf Street Park (Marina Park), popular ceremony times are:

Note: the adjacent café closes at 1:30pm.

Park hire is managed directly through Tweed Shire Council. When completing your application:

Ancora’s address is 118 Wharf Street, Tweed Heads
The nearest cross street is Terranora Terrace (required for the form)
The park is informally known as “Marina Park” — you can note this on the application
The park space is not publicly listed on the council website, so include the address

Your final meeting with the Ancora team is held 6–8 weeks before your wedding — it’s your big wrap-up session where everything is locked in:

• Final guest numbers
• Menu selections
• Beverage selection
• Dietary requirements
• Crew meals
• Children’s meals
• Package inclusions
• Additional hire items
• Timing of the day
• Floor plan
• Styling details
• Supplier information

We’d absolutely love to have you back. Just phone or email your planner to arrange a time. It’s a great chance to walk through your floor plan, visualise décor ideas and soak up those Terranora Inlet views all over again.

Ancora offers two main packages — Essentials and Deluxe — covering full service with ceremony, reception-only, micro weddings and elopements. Our popular Micro Wedding package starts from $7,990, available for weekend bookings placed within five months of the date — perfect for smaller guest lists with big style.

All packages include a planner and on-day coordinator, ceremony and reception furniture, cocktail furniture, and food & beverage service staff. Request the full kit here.

Absolutely. Ancora’s Tweed Coast location puts your guests close to incredible beachfront resorts and holiday homes. We recommend browsing the Tweed Coast Guide for a great local selection, or checking out our own curated favourites.

With Coolangatta, Kirra Beach, Rainbow Bay and Snapper Rocks all just minutes away, guests will be well looked after.

Ubers and taxis have great availability in the Tweed Heads / Coolangatta corridor. For a more organised end-of-night departure, many Ancora couples arrange group transport for their guests. Our recommended operators:

• a2b Transfers
• Total Passenger Transport
• Currumbin Valley Coaches
• Koala Koaches

Your Ancora planner can help advise on the best option for your guest numbers and budget.

Of course — and we’d love to show you around. Tours are available 7 days a week, by appointment, with both in-person and virtual options. You’ll meet with Emily or Nadia for a relaxed walk-through of the waterfront space — covering ceremony options, furniture layouts, wet weather contingencies and nearby photo locations. Relaxed, informative and absolutely no pressure.

→ Book a tour online